try to tell vs try telling

Both "try to tell" and "try telling" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Try to tell" is used when you want to suggest an attempt or effort to communicate something, while "try telling" is used when you want to suggest an experiment or test of the effectiveness of telling someone something.

Last updated: April 12, 2024 • 366 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"try to tell"

This phrase is used when you want to suggest an attempt or effort to communicate something to someone. It implies that the person should make an effort to convey the information.

Examples:

I will try to tell him about the meeting tomorrow.
She tried to tell her parents about her decision.

Show examples from the web [+]

Mar 6, 2022 ... Ukraine: 'We try to tell them the truth' - parenting in wartime · By Vibeke Venema · In Ukraine, families are having to adapt to a terrifying new ...
Why doesn't my mom listen whenever I calmly try to tell her she did something wrong or upset me? She'll get angry, yell, and talk over me, get other people ...

Alternatives:

attempt to tell
endeavor to tell
make an effort to tell
strive to tell
aim to tell

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"try telling"

This phrase is used when you want to suggest an experiment or test of the effectiveness of telling someone something. It implies that the person should see the outcome of sharing the information.

Examples:

Try telling him the truth and see how he reacts.
You should try telling her your feelings.

Show examples from the web [+]

Feb 4, 2022 ... Kindness is strength. But try telling that to children ... If you are a parent of young children who browses parenting websites, you will at some ...
Sep 13, 2011 ... Study dismisses poverty, but try telling that to the poor ... As the fortunes of middle-class Americans continue to dwindle, some might be ...
Nov 9, 2021 ... I am not a complete idiot – but try telling that to my mum. This article is more than 11 months old. Zoe Williams. Zoe Williams.

Alternatives:

experiment with telling
test by telling
see by telling
check by telling
verify by telling

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try to tell vs try telling

"try to tell"

"try telling"

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